1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lighted grab handle, adapted for use at entry doorways on large vehicles, particularly wheeled housing units including house trailers, travel trailers and motor homes.
2. Prior Art
Entry doorways on large vehicles, particularly wheeled housing units including house trailers, travel trailers and motor homes, tend to be raised one or more steps above the ground. To help a person step up from the ground and through the entry doorway, a grab handle is often fixed on the vehicle outside wall next to the doorway. Typically, the person opens the door with one hand, grasps the grab handle with the other hand and pulls one's self up and through the doorway.
Prior grab handles of this type have occasionally been illuminated, to be more easily found in the dark.
U.S. Pat. No. 3 789 210 illustrates a prior lighted grab handle. Same is a large unit to be recessed in a wall and having a central handle and illuminated windows on either side of the handle.
However, this prior art unit is large, bulky and hard to install. A large mounting surface area is required to accommodate the unit. Further, the windows on either side of the handle are fragile and thus easily marred or broken.
Another type of lighted grab handle known to the present Applicant is an illuminated acrylic tube used as a light pipe. However, this device is rather fragile and can be broken. It is easily marred and thus may look worn after a rather short time. Also, sunlight and changing temperatures will tend to damage the material of the handle after prolonged exposure.
The present invention is intended to overcome the aforementioned problems in the prior art lighted handles.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a lighted handle suitable for mounting on an outside wall of a vehicle, particularly near an entry door, in which a light bulb is contained in the handle itself, in which the light bulb lights up the wall area behind the handle, in which the entry door and handle are thus more visible, and in which the user is helped in finding the entry door and in achieving entrance into the vehicle.